By Amos Tauna A deposed Chief of Piriga Chiefdom, in Lere Local Government of Kaduna State, Chief Jonathan Parguwa Zamuna, has dragg...
By Amos Tauna
A deposed Chief of Piriga Chiefdom, in Lere Local Government
of Kaduna State, Chief Jonathan Parguwa Zamuna, has dragged the State
Government before the National Industrial Court sitting in Kaduna, seeking an
order to restrain the government from his purported dethronement.
The deposed Chief is also asking the Court to restrain the
state government from taking further action on the matter pending the
determination of the case.
Zamuna is praying the industrial court to order Kaduna state
government to pay him N25 million damages for the trauma the purported removal
cost him, alleging that it infringed on his fundamental human rights and was
carried out without following due process and fair hearing.
Barrister Napoleon ldenala, his lead counsel told newsmen
that the paramount ruler was not given any query nor given fair hearing on the
offence he was alleged to have committed which led to the harsh action of the
state government.
He explained that all attempts by the deposed chief through
written letters for the government to give him a chance to state his own side
proved abortive.
He said he was left with no choice than to approach the
court to demand justice for the breach of his fundamental human rights.
He explained to the court that the Kaduna state government
was allegedly attempting to commence the process of appointing a new chief of
Piriga to replace the purported deposed Chief Zamuna, praying the court for an
injunction restraining the government from continuing with such action.
Counsel to the Kaduna State Government, Barrister Tukur
Yahaya, dismissed the alleged attempt by the government to commence a process
of appointing another Chief for the stool of Piriga Chiefdom as mere rumour and
speculation, saying that he was yet to receive the service notice from the
claimant.
The presiding judge, Hon. Justice Sinmisola Adeniyi ruled
out the request for an interim injunction against the alleged attempt by the
government to commence the process of appointing a new chief, describing it as
a mere rumour without proof which could not be entered in the court’s record.
He adjourned the case to 26th July, 2023, for hearing of the
substantive motion on notice in order to satisfy the 14 days service window
within which all concerned defence counsels or parties would file any response
or reactions to the motion for injunction.
Former Governor Mallam Nasir el-Rufai had in his last days
in office – on 22nd May, 2023 announced the dethroning of Chief Jonathan Zamuna
as Chief of Piriga and General Iliyah Yammah (Rtd), the paramount ruler of Arak
Chiefdom in Sanga Council of the state, respectively.
The government, through the Commissioner for Local
Government, Umma Ahmad, said the traditional ruler of Arak Chiefdom was deposed
for an unacceptable response to a query by the state government over an
unauthorised appointment of four District Heads, contrary to the one approved
for his chiefdom, and his non-residence within Arak chiefdom.
While the traditional ruler of Piriga Chiefdom was removed
following communal clashes between Gure and Kitimi communities and his
non-residence within the chiefdom.
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